Cyril Lukaris, Hagiographies, & Historicity w/ Fr John Whiteford 

Thanks for this interesting companion video to the one by "Ancient Paths" on Cyril Lukaris. I saw parts of it and another site had a history on Lukaris as well. The political and religious atmosphere during the time of Lukaris' life with the oppression of the Ottoman Empire as well as the intrigue of Rome and the Jesuits was dangerous and difficult to navigate for someone in his position. Add to that, the confusion of the Reformation with its numerous sects popping up. It was truly a tumultuous time. Thank you for reaching out to the Ancient Paths site hopefully he will reconsider a discussion and dialogue.

The 2nd go around of Pastor Wallace going against us made me mad. But I'm glad you and Fr John are reviewing his video. You guys have far greater patience than I ever could have. God bless Craig 🙏

Wish I'd stayed to the end to ask my question about St John of Kronstadt (easily one of the more intriguing figures in Orthodox history). Perhaps a topic for a future video!

Please forgive me if I am incorrect; I am open to correction. But it is my understanding that there is no universally used Menaion, although some of the services in it are contained in all Menaion. Case in point, I attend a ROCOR parish that was founded exclusively by Greeks (back when there were many Greek parishes in the ROCOR) but has since gained many parishioners from the Russian diaspora. When I prepare the services for our choir, I normally am exclusively using our Greek Menaion, but on feast that are very important to the Russian people (such as the feast of the Kursk Root Icon this past Sunday) I have to get out our Russian Menaion since no service for that feast is contained in the Greek one. Similarly, our Greek Menaion contains a service for the appearance of the Cross in the sky over Athens in 1925, which (I'm assuming) is not contained in the Greek New Calendar Church's Menaion. Some of the services that are contained in both are, likewise, different in that one might rank higher than the other and contain more stichera, an Aposticha, sessional hymns, entreaty, etc whereas the other doesn't. Lastly, the Heirmos often differs based off the length of festal periods (this Sunday the Russian Menaion listed of the Theotokos whereas the Greek called for Katavasia of the Nativity. The Triodion, Pentecastarion, Octoechos, and Festal Menaion are certainly all the same (or at least nearly identical) but the Menaion generally (per my understanding) does contain significant deviation based off of which saints are locally celebrated. This is by no means a critique of the crux of your argument, which I very much enjoyed (as I do all of your content). I just wanted to submit (humbly and open to correction) a point of clarification as best as I understand concerning the services of the Church.

Craig, please consider doing a video with Fr. John on the Old Calendarists and schism. These people need to be exposed and refuted, because they have great influence. Thanks.

The Doxastikon in the Vespers service for Sts. Constantine and Helen states the following: "Receiving from God the highest of rich gifts, O most mighty and all-great Constantine, thou didst prosper well therein; for, having been illumined through baptism with the rays of the most holy Spirit by the holy hierarch Sylvester, thou wast shown to be invincible among kings, and as a gift didst give to thy Creator thine empire and the pious imperial city. Wherefore, as thou hast boldness, cease thou never to pray to Christ God, that He grant forgiveness of sins and great mercy unto all who keep thy memory." This is the Menaion translation of Isaac Lambertson.

It would seem to be worth my while to add the following comment, from a TRUE Orthodox perspective, which I said in response to a Protestant video on Lucaris linked at the bottom: Wonderful to hear an anathema against the Protestants including Henry VIII. Lucaris was condemned explicitly by 3 Councils, and doesn't anyway represent the Patristic Symphony (aka consensus) of the Church, which is what counts. If it's a forgery, this doesn't alter this. From the sermons it is clear that Lucaris didn't always have this Calvinist, heretical view. The consensus of the Church can take a while to emerge. But it always does, in the end. The True Church is now the True Orthodox Church because all member churches of the World Council of Churches and those directly or indirectly in communion with them fall under the 1983 Anathema Against Ecumenism by the Synod of the fully Canonical Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) under the Omophorion of its First Hierarch and Metropolitan St. Philaret of New York meeting at their monastery in Masonville, the Eastern Townships, Québec, Canada. He died in 1985 and his body was discovered to be incorrupt in 2001. All those whom you identify as living "Eastern Orthodox" who deny Lucaris's journey into Calvinism (the real question is: was Lucaris fully repentant from Calvinism and all other heresies at the time of his death), fall under this anathema. It's typical of these to make false histories and saints. And not to recognise true saints such as Metropolitan Philaret, whom they have consistently rejected and persecuted and murdered. This, in fact, proves that they are another subset of heretical Eastern Protestantism, to go with their fellow Protestant heretics the Romanist Papal Protestants (since the 1054 Great East-West Schism) and the Reformed Protestants (since Martin Luther and others failed to take their protest against papal indulgences, on which point they were correct, to its proper conclusion, to join what had come to be called by then, the Holy Catholic and Orthodox Church and which is now, in its full title, to distinguish those who have fallen away, from the modernist 1917 revolutions onwards, known as the True Orthodox Church). All the anathemas against the Protestants remain valid. Valid written AND oral tradition are both correct. As the Scriptures themselves state, it is the Church itself which is the pillar and ground of the Truth, not Scripture. And Holy Tradition is to be followed whether by Word or Epistle. For True Orthodoxy, the only place you will find the one and only true church, outside of which there's no salvation, go to True Orthodox sites such as NFTU (Voices from the Underground) and www.trueorthodox.eu. Incidentally one of your sources, Father John Whiteford can be easily found online discussing the ROCOR-True Orthodox Schism (completed in 2007-8) with True Orthodox priest Father Suaidan (now under a True Orthodox Church of Greece Synod). It should be noted that there has been constant splintering and then re-unification in the Truth throughout Church History via Synods, as is very well illustrated in Acts by the story of the Council of Jerusalem which took place at the time and which decided in conjunction and conformity with the Holy Spirit that few of the Jewish Old Testament dietary laws now applied. However one that still did and still does apply is the prohibition on eating the blood of animals [into which their souls dissolve]. The devil, Satan, Lucifer, has sowed dissent since he led the rebellion of 1/3 of the Angels from heaven before the creation of man. This action of him and his followers will only end with the Final Judgment. Until then, as Holy Tradition including the written tradition of the Scriptures informs us "there will be heresy in every generation". As Hieromartyr St. Mark of Vsevolod said, quoting Scripture, the heavenly church "is without spot or wrinkle", but the earthly Church, consisting of fallen human beings, well that's another matter. Protestant heretics of all descriptions reject this when they eat blood puddings such as black pudding, thus showing themselves to be pseudo-Christians and servants of the devil who refuse to obey Holy Tradition, both written and unwritten including the Bible which they claim to follow. We must pray, as True Orthodox Christians, that "if it is not a sin to do so, for your repentance and salvation." With love in Christ. Video link: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_yQBY2lPWUc.htmlsi=-Votduv4s_W2opo7 . Title: Cyril Lucaris: Calvinist Patriarch/Orthodox Saint, on the ancientpathstv RU-vid Channel

I’m very thankful that you took the time to reply in good faith and with charity to ancient paths tv, I’m a Protestant inquiring into Orthodoxy and the arguments made in that video were deeply concerning to me, but now I understand better the Orthodox position on this matter and what the misunderstanding were. God bless!

Thanks Father, Craig & Evangelos🙏🏻

I'd like to add to what fr John said at the end. Just because he may have had some doctrines that lined up with some Protestants doesn't make him protestant anyways. Protestantism is more than just doctrine.

Love Fr John. I wish you’d have him on more often. Thanks!

Not a milk instead of blood reference, but I think one of the most beautiful quotes from the hymnography mentioning milk that I am aware of is from the Paraklesis: "O stange wonder, that thou didst milk feed the Master."

Enjoyed the discussion! As to the question about milk coming out of saints instead of blood, I’m pretty sure that’s in St. Katherine the Great Martyr of Alexandria’s life.

1:01:26 Sorry, let me make my question less confusing. If having an ecumenical council (or a universally recognized one) condemn a person who ends up being canonized is a problem, how would you explain St. Sophronius' synodal letter, accepted by Constantinople III, which condemns St. Isaiah the Solitary of Egypt (as well as Peter the Iberian, who is canonized for the Georgian Orthodox Church)?

Hello Mr Truglia. Thank you for your two video with Fr Whiteford on protestantism. This is really difficult to swallow in one go, so I am processing it slowly, to be sure to understand.

Thank you

I assume hagiography means holy writings, who declares them as holy?